[Idiom] CATCH-22. - Learn How Catch-22 Explains a No-win Scenario

No-win situation.

The idiom "Catch-22" refers to a paradoxical situation from which an individual cannot escape because of contradictory rules or limitations. The term was popularized by Joseph Heller's 1961 novel "Catch-22," where a pilot faces a dilemma: he can only be excused from flying more missions if he is deemed insane, but if he requests to be excused, it shows he’s not insane. Thus, a "Catch-22" has come to symbolize any problematic situation where the solutions negate each other, making escape impossible.

Example Sentences

1. It's a classic catch-22 situation.

   It’s a typical situation where no solution seems possible because of contradictory conditions.

2. Finding a job without experience is a catch-22 scenario.

   Finding a job without experience creates a paradox where one requirement hinders fulfilling the other.

3. The catch-22 of needing a job to gain experience while needing experience to get a job frustrates many graduates.

   This paradox of needing experience to get a job but also needing a job to gain experience is common among graduates.